Greenscape Gardens Green Blog

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION 200 YEARS AGO TODAY 12/27/1804

Fort Mandan's interior walls are completed. Shields and Willard, the Corps' blacksmiths, are hard at work with their portable forge, repairing the gear and making metal items to trade for food. The visiting Indians are fascinated with the work being performed by the blacksmiths.

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BACKYARD COMPOSTING ENRICHES THE EARTH AND EASES LANDFILL CRISIS

High-tech societies have been criticized for their “throwaway” habits. But there is one common “throwaway” item that can be recycle at home very easily---lawn debris composed of grass clippings and tree leaves. Anyone who mows a lawn can return valuable nutrients to the soil and helps relieve a landfill crisis.

Mulching type mowers have been designed by many of the major lawn mower manufacturers. Homeowners can purchase these types of mowers which hold grass chopped into tiny pieces and blown into the turf, where the clippings decompose rapidly without adding to a thatch buildup. In fact, grass clippings return 20 percent of their nitrogen to the soil.

Variable opening mulchers on ride on equipment provide another innovation to help homeowners. By recycling lawn debris right now, homeowners can reduce the volume of throwaway material by up to 20 percent and extend the life of a community’s landfill. In return, recycled lawn materials are a rich source of nutrients.

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TREE PLANTING BASICS

When planting a tree in your landscape, the first step is to select the type of tree that is appropriate for your location. Will the species you select grown in the environmental battlefield known as St. Louis?

Consider the soil conditions and available space. Be sure to look up for overhead wires. Also consider the intended purpose of the tree. Do you want it to provide shade, showy flowers, brilliant fall colors, or all of the above? Take some time to do your homework so that a thoughtful decision can be made. This is the most important, but often overlooked, decision you will make.

Many lists have been published that describe trees recommended for our area. There is no single tree, or even a short list, that provides a thoughtful review of what can work for you. Every site is unique and has its own list of desirable trees.

PURCHASING TREES

Balled and burlapped (B&B) trees are dug with roots covered by the soil they were growing in, and wrapped in burlap. Many roots are cut and removed during the digging process at the nursery. Keep the root ball moist to minimize further stress to the tree. This method is the most reliable for large tree survival.

Potted trees are dug with the roots and soil intact and then placed into a container. Keep soil moist to minimize stress and be sure to remove the container before planting. Check to be sure the tree has not spent too much time in the container. If so, the roots may grow in a circular pattern inside the container.

Container grown trees are grown from seed or cuttings directly in a pot or container. As with potted trees, check to be sure roots have not encircled inside the container.

Bare rooted trees are sold with the soil removed from the root system. Transportation is easier, but the risk of drying out the roots is high. Keep roots wrapped with sphagnum moss or other material to minimize drying out.

When you inspect trees at the nursery, look for the following characteristics:
• A straight trunk with no wounds. Trunks should be single stem if that is the characteristic of the species.
• Vigorous growth on branches. Firm healthy buds.
• Well proportioned height to width ratio. A shape typical of the species.
• Moist root ball or soil in container.

Be aware of what it will take to get a tree home and planted. The average weight of an eight to 10 foot tall deciduous tree and its root ball is 150 pounds! Trees this size can be very awkward to move. Enough damage may be caused in transporting the tree and planting it, to warrant hiring a professional to handle the task for you.

PLANTING TREES

Select an appropriate location for your tree before purchase and planting. Review local ordinances that may dictate what you plant and where you can plant it. Use common sense and be aware of what the mature size and shape of your tree will be. Give the tree plenty of room to grow without obstructions (overhead wires, overhangs, and other trees).

Spring is the most popular time of the year for planting trees. However, many species of trees will survive better if planted in the fall or early winter. Summer planting is possible if a reliable watering program is followed.

Keep trees cool and moist (soil and roots) before planting. Gather all equipment needed before you start the job.

Digging the hole seems to be the least technical part of planting a tree. However, a poorly dug hole can spell disaster even if a healthy tree is selected. A planting hole should be at least 50% wider than the root ball. Do not dig any deeper than necessary to cove the root ball. It’s actually better to plant higher than lower. This method allows adequate room for roots to grow laterally (outward), and supports the weight of the tree. Trees should never be planted too deep or too shallow. Planting too deep will starve developing roots of oxygen, while planting too shallow may expose roots to drying winds.

Poorly drained soils may dictate the use of some type of drainage system. Wrapping the root ball with perforated flexible plastic pipe, and draining the pipe if possible on sloped sites. On level sites, planting on a small berm will keep the tree out of saturated soil.

Place the tree in the hole in an upright position. Check it from several angles! If you know the history of the tree, place the tree in the hole to reorient the north facing side of the tree. This could help minimize future sunscald on thin barked trees.

In St. Louis, we highly recommend backfilling with a combination of the existing soil and compost. We recommend a 50/50 combination of compost to soil.

Adding fertilizer when you plant the tree is not recommended. If you feel you must fertilizer, use only products indicated as a “starter fertilizer” or “root stimulators”, and follow the label directions. Over fertilizing can burn roots and do more harm than good.

Place mulch around the tree approximately three to four inches deep. The mulch should cover an area two to three times the width of the root ball. Organic mulch, such as shredded or chipped wood, can stabilize soil moisture and temperatures. Minimizing extremes in moisture and temperature can greatly increase the overall health of a tree.

Staking trees may be necessary for the first year. The additional support allows roots to grow without disturbance. Guy wires can be attached directly to the ground, or to adjacent stakes that have been driven into the ground. Protect the tree from guy wires with rubber hose or other materials. DO NOT nail boards to the trunk for support.

Trunk protection will minimize the risk from sunscalding. Wrap the main trunk with tree wrap paper in the late fall and remove it after leaves emerge in the spring. If rabbits and mice are a problem, loosely wrap wire mesh around the base of the trunk to protect it during the winter months.

Prune newly planted trees to remove any branches that are damaged or crossing. Improve branch structure by evenly spacing branches up and down the trunk. Do not remove more than one third of the branches at one time. Over pruning will stimulate an abundance of new growth that may be undesirable. Most trees purchased from nurseries have been pruned to improve form.

When trees are dug from the nursery and transplanted into a new location, they suffer what experts call “transplant shock”. Typically, 95% of the absorbing roots are lost when a tree is dug. Trying to survive on five percent of the original root system is difficult and make the tree more prone to attacks by insects and disease.

Watering is the single most important factor in minimizing transplant shock once the tree is in the ground. Realize that the tree only has five percent of its original roots, and absorption of water will be slow. Use soil from the planting hole to form a ring that will create a basin around the newly planted tree. After water fills the basin, it will soak into the soil. Mulching will preserve soil moisture under this basin. Fill the basin at least once a week, if sufficient rainfall has not occurred. Be careful not to overwater. Use your finger to check soil that is actually part of the root ball. If it is dry, you need to water.